This is ashamedly a very long overdue post. I’ve been an ambassador to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation’s Wall of Hands program for two years. I’ve posed for the photos, I’ve said I’d be all hands on deck (so to speak; the campaign uses a raised hand as their motif) and I’ve failed to properly rally the troupes (that’s all you guys) to get involved and give a shit about this issue.

This issue being that way too many Aboriginal kids are missing out on a decent start. This is something you should know:

one in five children in remote Indigenous communities can’t read and write at the minimum standard

We can be all jingoistic about the Aussie ethos and our fair go heritage, blah, blah, blah….Or we can face the facts. These kind of statistics are disgraceful and reflect 100% on us. There. Said.

The ALNF, then, is working with Indigenous communities and schools around Australia to turn these statistics around. Their specialised programs are making a real difference and transforming lives in places few of us have ever visited: Tennant Creek, Mungkarta, Elliott and Ali-Curung.. For example – the ALNF recently launched it’s Community Action Support (CAS) program for the first time in the community of Elliott.

2. if you can afford it right now, you can give a one-off donation of as little as $5. This will help provide basic learning materials for an Indigenous child in a remote community.

3. if you’re interested in doing more: $30 can provide extra learning support to Indigenous preschoolers. $80 can provide a child with a Literacy Pack filled with books and reading resources. $120 can train an Indigenous high school mentor to provide reading and writing support to Indigenous primary school children. $520 can help provide teaching to a child in a remote community such as Mungkarta for six months.

I don’t like pushing things on everyone. But this one is important. Hope you don’t mind…

Have your say, leave a comment.

Sarah is a New York Times best-selling author and founder and director of I Quit Sugar. A summary in numbers: She was a journalist for 20 years, her books are sold in 46 countries, she’s helped 1.5 million people quit sugar and her minimalist principles see her live out of two suitcases. Please respect Sarah’s anti-waste values and contact us before sending your lovely wares.